Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-04
GREATl lB1T1LE PICTURE.
Some Oserv atiops 81 thu Beauties and Rsalisns
of the Gettysb1rg Spectacular PAnorama.


some Decorations 81 TIL Beauties and Rsalians
81 the Gettysbars spectacular PAnoralBa.
@ st. Paul Dispatch Although hund reds Of
citizens 81 st Puai and strangers visit the
great Gettysburg panorama at the corner
Of Sixth and ST. Peter streets every day.
there are thousands more who have not
yet realized the splendid attractions Of
this IL matchless spectacular exhibition.
They pass it By as an unexciting sort Of
show good, but not exhilArating. Onrthe
contrary there is*no theater in all the
country where 50 exciting q tragedy holds
the boards. .sl$ zS. s5,% 4 ,rs
On the wonderful canvas Of the Gettys.
burg picture is portrayed one OF the realities
.ofhistory. What are sham grieis and
mock tears com pared to the reality Of that
fierce onslaught which fixed the nations
destiny, turned the babbling brooks to
blood and planted the crimson flower OF
death broadcast along its wooded hills!
The griefs OF the footlght world are aoon
forgotten, hut the griefs thai sprang to
life from Gettysburg field shall never find
assuagement within thousands OF stricken
hearts until the peace OF eternal years en-.
folds them.
The picture represents the decisive &C
ton OF July 3, 1868. 1t was painted by
artists who thoroughly posted themselves
as to the location of troops, the landscape
and other details Of the fight as it actual
ly took place. By such care they were en-
abled to reproduce the lnaneuvers OF that
dreadful day, SO, that, looking upon the
work, we can not realize that we are gazing
&C. 20
the picture is 10000 square feet. The
wonderful blending of effects in the fore.
ground SO deceives the eye that one can
not separate the real from the unreal.
Entering the unique building in which
the painting is on exhibition, through o
dark passage, you grOpe your way. until
! the ascent ofa un]ighted stairway ushers
you suddenly into q new region. You have
left the streets OF St. Paul behind you
and penetrated one OF Pennsylvania g
loveliest valleys. About you lie wooded
hills that belt with living green q stretch OF
fields and meadows. An old rail fence zig.
Gags across the foreground. The illusion
is perfect az your eye takes i'll the swarm
| ing blue-coats and the upspringing uni.
forms OF grey confronting them.
Taking your standpoint at the exact
center Of the scene of action, you soon lose
thought OF all the world but the exciting
sweep OF events about you. The horses
actually seem to be alive; their wild eyes
full OF splendid courage and dauntless de-
sire. Rosa Bonheur never painted better
scene OF animal lie in action. Every
! muscle stands out like whip-cords. Under
copse to the south OF g. central stand.
point the never -be.forgotten charge OF
General Pickett and his desperate men is
in progress-a charge which proved the
tide-water mark OF the rebellion, from
which it slowly ebbed to it's close. You
can almost hear the sharp whistle of bull.
let's aud the unceasing roar OF batteries, as
the carnage is at its height. From the
pale lips OF wounded men you seem to
catch the pitiful cry of their agony; and
the last shudder which convulsed the
features OF the dead, seems yet to haunt
the air.
All about you look where you will, brave
boys are falling thick RS leaves in an au-
tumn storm. Up'from the meadows Il re-
Enforcement Of gray coats, 1000 strong,
is trampling the blossoming grasses under
foot. Each man is as thoroughly in ear
nest as men are sure to be, when some ia.
tai moment unlooses the bulldog passions
in their souls. Their front is like the crest
OF an angry sea. Take your glass and look
closely at this magnificent charge. Under
the strongest glass, the most distant hui
man figures mot larger than cockroaches
on the actual canvas) stand out clear, dis
tinct, artistic and life sized, thus vastly
enlarging the scope Of vision.
Through the very thickest OF the battle a
magnificent horse is flying. riderless. His
, gallant master lies somewhere in the red
storm of death, but be, with head erect
and strained blood shot eye, is seeking
safety, he knows not where. Away from
the tangle 81 white faces, and pale, out.
stretched hands; away from the scream OF
bursting shells; away from the wars tur.
MOL to the peace OF the hills, the frighten-
ed horse, they tell us, found his way at
last to safety and an honored old age. The
event was an actual occurrence OF thatday
!; OF horror.
! Perhaps the feature which appeals most
strongly to the local beholders is the vivid
portrayal OF the historic charge OF the gal
liant old First Minnesota regimen t.
i This regiment is truthfully and graphical.
+: ly portrayed rushing heorically to the
flaming front, under the leadership OF the
| brave Col. Colvill, who WAS desperately
wounded in this battle, and yet survives,
MANNED and disfgured, an honored citi-
zen of Red Wing. The colonel and /, l,,rge
number OF the men Of the old First" are
/; painted from photographs, and the like
nesses are readily reco:nizer. Tho bat
tie flag of the Twenty. eighth Virginia regi-
n
division, and is correctly painted in itA
place in the picture, lies in the fore.
ground. It was captured by Marshall
Sherman, Of st. Paul, % member OF the
First Minnesota, and by him loaned to the
panorama company.
The canvas presents for us but one mo-
ment-an eternal moment!--of the struggle
TINT wased so fiercely for three long sum
mer days. But it strikes that one moment
30 sharpely, it holds it forth SO grundlv,
! and immortalizes it SO completely that, to
see the picture is to the thoughtful soul a
full revelation of n direful yet glorious
epoch ct history. Never imagine for sim
gle moment that the Gettysburg pano~
rama Will bore you, or that it ranks with
the ordinary panoramic visit to tame
lands and scriptural places. This wonder
full painting is az unlike the average piano.
rama as spice differs from marble dust, or
champagne from tepid tea.